§ 24.20.005. Frequently flooded areas—Purposes.

The purposes of this section are to:

A.

Augment development standards in Chapter 14.38 TCC regarding development in flood hazard areas.

B.

Identify areas affected by natural flooding and stream channel migration and minimize the amount of development at risk in such areas in order to protect human life and safety; minimize damage to homes and places of business; minimize business interruptions; avoid or minimize damage to public facilities and utilities including, but not limited to, water and gas mains, electric, telephone and sewer lines, roads and bridges; and to minimize the expenditure of public funds for flood control projects, rescue and relief efforts and repair of flood damage.

C.

Preserve natural flood control by retaining the capacity of floodways to pass floodwaters and associated debris and by retaining the capacity of floodplains to store flood waters.

D.

Restrict structures, facilities, flood loss reduction measures (including, but not limited to, hard armoring and stream channelization), grading, dredging, filling and other development in areas subject to flooding that could displace flood carrying capacity or increase flood heights or velocities.

E.

Protect the quality and quantity of water sustaining humans, fish, shellfish and wildlife by avoiding or minimizing siltation and pollution associated with flooding. This includes, but is not limited to, prohibiting or restricting uses in flood prone areas that pose significant risks to water quality when they are inundated.

F.

Minimize disruption of stream channel migration that forms fish and wildlife habitat by minimizing streambank stabilization and construction of new structures that would be affected by stream channel migration.

G.

Maintain the linkages of the stream to the nutrient reserves in its floodplains.

H.

Regulate frequently flooded areas as a critical area, pursuant to RCW 36.70A.030.

(Ord. No. 14773, § 3(Att. B), 7-24-2012)